Initially we thought this was a picture of Mary going to see Elizabeth, because there she is, trotting ahead, in what at first glance looked like she was alone. But if you look, you will see Joseph is behind her, in the woods, with the burro. We like that. If she had the strength to travel over hill and dale to make the solo voyage to Elizabeth, surely she still possessed that same strength of character and spirit as she goes off to Bethlehem with her husband. We want our Queen to have that strength.

Maximilian Albert Josef Liebenwein (1869–1926) was a German painter who worked in the Impressionist and Art Nouveau styles. His paintings and sketches cover a lot of ground, from work for the Austrian military to portraits, and include a lot of fine Catholic paintings. With their crisp lines and clean colors, and most of all the narrative elements, they are fine examples of the Golden Age of Illustration, of which Norman Rockwell might be the most famous practitioner for us Americans. We love Art Nouveau and Golden Age of Illustration paintings! Our two favorite styles! (source: ww1.habsburger.net)

** IMPORTANT ** THE IMAGE IS SMALLER THAN THE PAPER! There is a blank border all around the image of about .5" for 5x7, 1.3" for 8.5x11, 1.6" for 11x14, and 1.75" for 13x17". All Approx! The white space gives the framed picture a finished look without using a mat.

– Acid-free paper
– Archival pigments, rated to last for generations.
– Cardboard backer
– Above story of the art
– Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal clear bag.

Thanks for your interest!
Sue & John

“In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art.” ~ St. Pope John Paul II

Original image is out-of-copyright as it was not renewed. Descriptive text and image alterations (hence the whole new image) © by Sue Kouma Johnson